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As the First Nations treaty process slogs through its third decade in B.C., one of the continuing obstacles to progress is a challenge that the natives were expected to sort out without further assistance from the province or the federal government. “First Nations should resolve issues related to overlapping traditional territories among themselves,” was one of the dozen-and-a-half recommendations from the task force that launched the treaty process at the outset of the 1990s.

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VICTORIA — The B.C. Liberals launched the latest summit with First Nations on a positive note Tuesday, naming a prominent native leader to find ways to reduce the number of aboriginal children who are separated from their communities and placed in foster care. Serving as senior adviser to government on the goal of establishing “forever families” for aboriginal kids will be Grand Chief Ed John, hereditary chief of the Tl’azt’en Nation in northern B.C. and a longtime member of the First Nations Summit.

VICTORIA — From former cabinet minister George Abbott comes a reminder that today marks the anniversary of a momentous public policy decision here in B.C., albeit mostly under the heading of what not to do. July 23, 2009 was the day the B.C. Liberal government announced that the provincial sales tax would be harmonized with its federal goods-and-services counterpart.

Vancouver lawyer Doug Eyford levelled stinging criticism at the federal government and First Nations leaders on Thursday in a report that calls for a fundamental shift in direction to salvage the B.C. land claims process. Only four treaties have been signed in the 20-year-old process that has cost more than $1 billion. It was supposed to wrap up with dozens of treaties by the year 2000. Eyford, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s envoy, suggested talks be abandoned where there is little or no hope of success.

VICTORIA — With the provincial election still two years away, the 2015 session of the legislature was expected to be a time of regrouping for the Opposition and minimal cares for the government. But as is often the case in B.C. politics — see the last election for example — the train of events did not proceed down the tracks precisely as expected.

The man whose job was pulled from under him as the head of the B.C. Treaty Commission says he's convinced Premier Christy Clark will pay a political price for what he says is a short-sighted approach to First Nations negotiations.

VICTORIA — One week after the B.C. Liberals pulled the rug from under George Abbott as chief treaty commissioner, Premier Christy Clark now says that she “regrets” the treatment of her former cabinet colleague.

VICTORIA — As former cabinet minister George Abbott tells it, he was in transition meetings this week to take over as chief of the B.C. Treaty Commission when he got the call from the Christy Clark government. On the line was minister for aboriginal relations John Rustad — the same cabinet member who six months ago approached Abbott about taking on the posting as head of the commission.

In net, Jim Iker is calm and unflappable. With his trademark long hair flowing behind his goalie mask, he’s known by his old-timer hockey teammates as a guy with Zen-like confidence who plays a standup style but isn’t afraid to scramble and dive to make a save. He’s rarely rattled, even when he can’t stop the shot. They are qualities that also serve him well as the president of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, where he’s backstopping the province’s 40,000 teachers through a four-month labour dispute, while fending off critics, cabinet ministers and the premier.

As Finance Minister Mike de Jong released the latest update on the state of provincial finances Tuesday, he said that the B.C. economy has been delivering in a fashion that is “steady but not spectacular.” “Underwhelming,” would have been a more apt choice of words.

The labour dispute that cancelled the opening of B.C. public schools Tuesday is pitting the financial pressures faced by striking teachers against the public pressures on the provincial government to reopen classrooms. And in that war of wills, teachers may blink first, a University of B.C. education professor says.

If B.C. health minister Terry Lake were a dog, he says he’d be a terrier. “Terriers are tenacious and tough. They know what they want and how to get it,” he said in his first major interview since being appointed health minister in June.

A small B.C. school district says it’s planning not to buy carbon offsets through a provincial Crown corporation this year but to use that money instead to reduce greenhouse gas emissions locally. Frank Lento, chairman of the Southeast Kootenay board of education, said the district is displeased with the Pacific Carbon Trust (PCT), which has been widely criticized for taking money from schools, hospitals and universities and funnelling it to private companies, including energy-producer Encana Corporation.

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